UK+Food+and+Drink

**Traditional British Dishes and Drinks.** In Britain we have many meaty dishes, involving meats such as beef, lamb, pork and chicken. As these are home-grown from Britain and have been the way of British life for centuries. The most famous dish is probably fish and chips, which in my opinion is not made to such a high standard anywhere else in the world! Also, a very popular dish is a good old British Sunday roast. Our traditional dish is the famous Fish and Chips. For our famous breakfasts, we eat a full British fry up. Which is made up of bacon, sausages, egg, black pudding, fried tomatoes and toast. Also shreddies are popular and shredded wheat, very British breakfasts. A popular beer which is drank all over the globe is Guinness, the dark appearance is due to the roasted barley which is left unfermented. For many years a portion of the beer was aged to give a sharp lactic flavour, but Guinness refuse to say if it is still present. These are the most eaten foods in Britain but a lot of Ale/Beer is used in cooking some dishes.

If you would like to try some traditional British foods, and get a taste of the English culture, follow the instructions bellow.

Traditional English food recipes:-

__**Fish And Chips- High in fibre, good source of folic acid**__

1. Scrub the potatoes, cut into 1.5cm thick lengthways slices, then cut each slice into 1.5cm thick chips. Tip the chips into a large saucepan, pour in enough water to just cover, bring to the boil, then lower the heat and gently simmer for 4 minutes only. Drain, tip onto a clean tea towel, pat dry, then leave to cool. Can be done 1-2 hours ahead. Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Put a large shallow non-stick roasting tray in the oven with 1 tea Spoon olive oil and heat for 10 minutes.

2.Transfer the chips to a bowl and toss in the remaining oil using your hands. Tip out in a single layer onto the hot roasting tin. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn them over. Bake 5 more minutes, then turn again. Bake for a final 5-8 minutes until crisp. Drain on paper towels.

3.While the chips are in the oven, cook the peas in boiling water for 4 minutes. Drain, then tip into the pan and lightly crush with the back of a fork. Mix in the oil, lemon juice and freshly grated pepper. Cover and set aside.

4.The fish can also be cooked while the chips are in the oven. Pat the fillets dry with paper towels. Put the 1 tea spoon of flour on a plate and use to coat each fillet, patting off the excess. Pour the oil for frying into a heavy, medium non-stick wok or wok shaped pan. Heat to 200C (use a thermometer so you can check the oil stays at that temperature). Mix 50g flour, cornflour, a pinch of salt and some pepper. Lightly whisk the egg white with a balloon whisk until frothy and bubbly, but not too stiff. Pour the water into the flour mix, gently and briefly whisking as you go. The batter shouldn't be completely smooth. Add the egg white, then lightly whisk in just to mix. Try and keep as many bubbles as you can so the batter stays light. Cooking two pieces of fish at a time, dip them in the batter to coat, let some of it drip off, then lower into the hot oil using a slotted spoon. Fry for 5-6 minutes, making sure the oil stays at 200C and turning the fish over halfway through so it is golden all over. Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper. Check the oil is back up to 200C, then repeat with remaining fish. Reheat the peas and serve with the fish, chips and lemon wedges.

Source - http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5544/ultimate-fish-and-chips


 * __Full English Breakfast (FEB)-Source of calcium, folic acid, vitamin C and omega-3,s, count as four of our five-a-day__**

1.Lay the bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes on a foil-lined tray. Brush the tops of the mushrooms with 3 tea spoon of the oil and both sides of the bread with the remaining oil. Set aside. Heat the grill to very hot. Lay the sausages on a small foil-lined tray (best not to prick good-quality sausages or they may lose moisture). Grill for about 10 minutes until cooked, turning occasionally.

2.Meanwhile, three-quarters fill a small pan, and a wide, deep sauté pan with water. Bring both to the boil. Lower an egg into the small pan and remove after 30 seconds. Crack the egg into a cup. Add vinegar to the larger pan then, using a wire whisk, swirl the water around to create a whirlpool. Remove the whisk and slowly tip the egg into the centre of the whirlpool (see top picture). When the water comes back to the boil, remove the pan from the heat, cover and leave for 3 minutes, then remove the egg. Place in a bowl of warm water while you cook the other egg - or cook both eggs an hour ahead, leave in a bowl of iced water, then reheat for 1½ minutes in simmering water before serving.

3.Meanwhile heat a griddle pan to very hot. Place the tomatoes, bacon and mushrooms under the grill for 3-4 minutes without turning. At the same time, lay the bread on the griddle pan, cook until crisp, about 1 minutes each side. Drain everything on kitchen paper.

4.Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on a cloth. Arrange everything on a plate and serve with the juice and fruit. Source - http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5820/ultimate-full-english-breakfast


 * __Beef Pot Roast__**

1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

2.Heat a heavy Dutch oven on top of the stove over medium high heat. Add oil, and sear meat in the center of the pan for 4 minutes. Turn meat over with tongs; sear all sides for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove meat from pan. Arrange onion, garlic, and 1 bay leaf in the bottom of the pan, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Return meat to pan, place remaining bay leaf on top of meat, and cover.

3.Cook in the oven for 30 minutes at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Reduce the heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Remove roast to a platter to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Slice, and top with onions and gravy.

Source - http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Beef-Pot-Roast/Detail.aspx

__**Cottage Pie.**__

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. 2. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and carrot and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes until soft. 3. Add the minced beef and cook for 3 minutes to brown. 4. Add the tomatoes, purée, beef stock, bay leaf and thyme. 5. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Season. 6. **Make the mash:** boil the potatoes and parsnips in water until soft. Drain and mash with the butter and milk. Stir in the horseradish and season with salt and pepper. 7. Spoon the meat into an ovenproof dish. Top with the mash and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.
 * Method**

Source - http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/comfortingcottagepie_14505.shtml